Bucs allow, oh, about 900 yards of rushing

December 29, 2008|By Chris Harry, Sentinel Staff Writer

Allowing about 900 yards rushing: Coach Jon Gruden couldn't give an exact reason why his Buccaneers melted like a snowball in losing four straight games to end the season and get eliminated from playoff contention. To be fair, he said the coach has to take responsibility, but he also reminded everyone that, "We gave up about 900 yards rushing the last four games." Actually, after reserve Michael Bush ran 27 times for 177 yards, the exact number was 756 -- or 189 per game. Not exactly the way to say goodbye to defensive coordinator deluxe Monte Kiffin. "Their third-string back got a lot of yards on us," MLB Barrett Ruud said. "It's frustrating and I know that we're capable, but for whatever reasons, we just didn't execute well the last four weeks."

LB Derrick Brooks started his 208th consecutive game -- and probably shouldn't have: Brooks did not practice last week due to a sore hamstring and looked every bit like an aging 35-year-old when Bush busted through the line for a 67-yard go-ahead touchdown. "I tried to push it," Brooks said. He later came out of the game. "He's gutted it out all season," Gruden said. "He's our only Pro Bowl player on defense and he wanted to be out there with his teammates."

'09 schedule a doozy: The Bucs demolished the Raiders 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII on Jan. 29, 2003. Since then, the team is 10-20 in December and January. Gruden's overall record with Tampa Bay is now 60-57, including playoffs. With the end of the '08 season comes the schedule for the '09 season -- and it's a doozy. Besides their normal home and road games against NFC South foes Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans, the Bucs will face Dallas, the New York Giants, the New York Jets and Green Bay at home. The league moved their eighth home date to London for a game against New England. The non-division road games will be at Philadelphia, Washington, Seattle, Miami and -- for the first time in franchise history -- Buffalo. This season's 9-7 record means Tampa Bay will draft somewhere from 15th to 17th. Raiders owner Al Davis, who traded Gruden to the Bucs nearly seven years ago, picked a fine time to develop swelling in his right knee and ankle. Doctors advised Davis, 79, not to make the cross-country trip to Tampa. By staying home, he missed just his second game since joining the organization in 1963. The only other time came in 1979 when his wife suffered a heart attack.

Etc.: WR Michael Clayton's 58-yard touchdown reception made for his first touchdown in 37 games, and just the second in four seasons. Clayton, one of the many pending free agents, caught seven TDs in 2004 and made the all-rookie team. . . . S Sabby Piscitelli's 84-yard interception return in the fourth quarter was the third-longest in team history that did not result in a touchdown. The play would not have been possible without a pancake block from 200-pound S Tanard Jackson on 240-pound FB Luke Lawton. . . . The Raiders lead the all-time series 6-1 (not including the Super Bowl), with the Bucs' lone win coming in overtime in 1996.